What is WordPress?

A quick look at the WordPress you host yourself, rather than the totally free option that is hosted by WordPress (which is even simpler to use, but more limited in what you can do)

To quote the creators:

“WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.”

We could not put it better, to be honest, but then we obviously love working with WordPress too.

But just what can WordPress do and why should you consider working with it for your blog and/or website?

Tomorrow you can read specific ways that WordPress can work for you, but for now, some general ideas:

If you want to be able to update your website when you want to, adding new pages, editing, removing – with WordPress you can. Working well as a content management system (CMS) you can now build your website with WordPress and enjoy all the freedom that goes with managing your own content. Independently.

And for your blog – it’s likely to make most sense to own your blog – hosting it yourself on your own domain name with software that can adapt to most things that you might possible want.

WordPress is open source – this means that hundreds of volunteers (yes, really) have given their time and ability to give something that millions of us can enjoy, enabling professional websites and blogs without having to spend the thousands that it would have just a few years ago. WordPress is free – you do not pay anything for the software – it’s there for anyone and everyone to download and use.

For your blog WordPress is the ideal solution if you want it to grow with you and if you want to control your content. The free blogging options are useful but be aware that you are not in full control of what might be showing alongside your content – adverts, for instance. And there are limits to what you can do with a free blog – the thousands of extra functions available are only available if you host your own blog.

“But I thought you said WordPress is free?”

Yes, the software is free – but you have to host your software, so will have to sort that out with a reliable host (we charge from £45 per year), and to have your own domain name – which is not expensive (or shouldn’t be – we charge £5 for a .co.uk per year).

Then you need to spend time setting it all up, and on regular maintenance. Those wonderful WordPress geeks are constantly improving things for us, and this means we need to update the software when updates are available. This is not hard work and if you join the WordPress update reminder list (see right) we will give you the nod and remind you of the best way to do your updates.

Using WordPress for your website is equally sensible these days. Whatever your business, WordPress can give you a brochure site, an online shop, a photography gallery, sales pages, community portals – most of what you might want, WordPress can do. Really. Tomorrow we’ll look at some more specific uses now that we’ve tempted you…

What are you using WordPress for? Or what would you really like to use it for? Do share…

This is excellent. I'm not the only one that wants/needs to blog frequently, for various reasons, but just don't find/make the time. Yoast's Caroline gives us some sensible pointers. ... See MoreSee Less